Processes for the purification of trichlorosilane and silicon tetrachloride

1. A process for purifying technical grade trichlorosilane and/or technical grade silicon tetrachloride into electronic grade trichlorosilane and/or electronic grade silicon tetrachloride, the process comprising:

adding diphenylthiocarbazone and/or triphenylchloromethane to the technical grade trichlorosilane and/or technical grade silicon tetrachloride to form complex impurity macromolecules with impurities in the technical grade trichlorosilane and/or technical grade silicon tetrachloride, the impurities being selected from the group consisting of boron impurities, metallic impurities, and combinations thereof;

distilling the technical grade trichlorosilane and/or technical grade silicon tetrachloride having complex impurity macromolecules in a first column distillation, wherein the first column distillation results in first distillation tops and first distillation bottoms, wherein the first distillation bottoms comprise complex impurity macromolecules separated from the first distillation tops, wherein:

the first column distillation initially operates with a total reflux of the first distillation tops such that the impurities completely form complex impurity macromolecules; and

after the initial total reflux of the first distillation tops, the ratio of the amount of condensed first distillation tops returned to the top of the first column distillation to the amount of condensed first distillation tops that is extracted from first column distillation is between 0.3:1 to 2.8:1 for trichlorosilane and between 0.17:1 and 5:1 for silicon tetrachloride; and

distilling the first distillation tops in a second column distillation resulting in second distillation tops and second distillation bottoms, wherein the second distillation bottoms comprise a residual amount of trichlorosilane and/or silicon tetrachloride and a compound selected from the group consisting of phosphorus containing compounds, arsenic containing compounds, aluminum compounds, antimony compounds, metalloid compounds, carbosilane compounds, and combinations thereof, and the second distillation tops comprise electronic grade trichlorosilane and/or electronic grade silicon tetrachloride.

2. The process of claim 1 , the process further comprising distilling the second distillation bottoms into third distillation tops and third distillation bottoms in a third column distillation, the third distillation bottoms comprising a compound selected from the group consisting of phosphorus containing compounds, arsenic containing compounds, aluminum compounds, antimony compounds, metalloid compounds, carbosilane compounds, and combinations thereof, and the third distillation tops comprising silicon tetrachloride and/or trichlorosilane free of dichlorosilane.

3. A process as set forth in claim 2 wherein the phosphorous containing compounds include phosphorous chloride and the arsenic containing compounds include arsenic chloride.

4. The process of claim 1 , wherein adding diphenylthiocarbazone and/or triphenylchloromethane to the technical grade trichlorosilane and/or technical grade silicon tetrachloride comprises adding the diphenylthiocarbazone and/or triphenylchloromethane in an excess stoichiometric amount.

5. The process of claim 1 , wherein adding diphenylthiocarbazone and/or triphenylchloromethane to the technical grade trichlorosilane and/or technical grade silicon tetrachloride comprises adding twice the amount of diphenylthiocarbazone as the amount of triphenylchloromethane.

6. The process of claim 1 , wherein the first distillation bottoms are at a temperature between 38° C. and 48° C. for the purification of technical grade trichlorosilane and between 65° C. and 75° C. for the purification of technical grade silicon tetrachloride.

7. The process of claim 6 , wherein the first distillation bottoms are at a temperature of 42° C. for the purification of trichlorosilane and 69° C. for the purification of silicon tetrachloride.

8. The process of claim 1 , wherein the initial total reflux of the first distillation tops is carried out for at least 3 hours.

9. The process of claim 1 , wherein the ratio of the amount of condensed first distillation tops returned to the top of the first column distillation to the amount of condensed first distillation tops that is extracted from first column distillation is 1.33 for trichlorosilane and 2.5 for silicon tetrachloride.

10. A process as set forth in claim 1 wherein the boron impurities include boron trichloride, the phosphorous containing compounds include phosphorous chloride and the arsenic containing compounds include arsenic chloride.

11. A process for purifying technical grade trichlorosilane and/or technical grade silicon tetrachloride into electronic grade trichlorosilane and/or electronic grade silicon tetrachloride, the process comprising:

adding diphenylthiocarbazone and triphenylchloromethane to the technical grade trichlorosilane and/or technical grade silicon tetrachloride to form complex impurity macromolecules with impurities in the technical grade trichlorosilane and/or technical grade silicon tetrachloride, the impurities being selected from the group consisting of boron impurities, metallic impurities, and combinations thereof, diphenylthiocarbazone being added in twice the amount of diphenylthiocarbazone;

distilling the technical grade trichlorosilane and/or technical grade silicon tetrachloride having complex impurity macromolecules in a first column distillation, wherein the first column distillation results in first distillation tops and first distillation bottoms, wherein the first distillation bottoms comprise complex impurity macromolecules separated from the first distillation tops; and

distilling the first distillation tops in a second column distillation resulting in second distillation tops and second distillation bottoms, wherein the second distillation bottoms comprise a residual amount of trichlorosilane and/or silicon tetrachloride and a compound selected from the group consisting of phosphorus containing compounds, arsenic containing compounds, aluminum compounds, antimony compounds, metalloid compounds, carbosilane compounds, and combinations thereof, and the second distillation tops comprise electronic grade trichlorosilane and/or electronic grade silicon tetrachloride.

12. The process of claim 11 , the process further comprising distilling the second distillation bottoms into third distillation tops and third distillation bottoms in a third column distillation, the third distillation bottoms comprising a compound selected from the group consisting of phosphorus containing compounds, arsenic containing compounds, aluminum compounds, antimony compounds, metalloid compounds, carbosilane compounds, and combinations thereof, and the third distillation tops comprising silicon tetrachloride and/or trichlorosilane free of dichlorosilane.

13. A process as set forth in claim 12 wherein the phosphorous containing compounds include phosphorous chloride and the arsenic containing compounds include arsenic chloride.

14. The process of claim 11 , wherein the first distillation bottoms are at a temperature between 38° C. and 48° C. for the purification of technical grade trichlorosilane and between 65° C. and 75° C. for the purification of technical grade silicon tetrachloride.

15. The process of claim 14 , wherein the first distillation bottoms are at a temperature of 42° C. for the purification of trichlorosilane and 69° C. for the purification of silicon tetrachloride.

16. The process of claim 11 , wherein the first column distillation initially operates with a total reflux of the first distillation tops such that the impurities completely form complex impurity macromolecules.

17. The process of claim 16 , wherein the initial total reflux of the first distillation tops is carried out for at least 3 hours.

18. A process as set forth in claim 11 wherein the boron impurities include boron trichloride, the phosphorous containing compounds include phosphorous chloride and the arsenic containing compounds include arsenic chloride.